Inflammation - The Hidden Killer?

Health & Fitness, health report
It’s known as a basic healing response, but inflammation could also be one of the causes of our major modern diseases. Anastasia Stephens reports click here to read

The sweetest nutrients
Health & Fitness: eat right
Did you know a deficiency in sugars could be making your ill? Anastasia Stephens looks at the eight super-sugars we need for optimum health click here to read

Enzyme energy …
Health & Fitness: eat right
Many of us don’t get enough vital enzymes. ANASTASIA STEPHENS tells you how you can boost your supply click here to read

Inflammation - The Hidden Killer?

Health & Fitness, health report

It’s known as a basic healing response, but inflammation could also be one of the causes of our major modern diseases. Anastasia Stephens reports.

You bang your knee and within minutes it feels painful, stiff and raw. A cold leaves you with a temperature and streaming nose. You graze your skin, and within seconds the area reddens, weeps and a scab begins to form…

All these scenarios involve inflammation – the body’s most basic healing response. Immediate, versatile and remarkably effective, it can flush away germs in a flood of watery mucus or use pain, swelling and high temperatures to enforce rest, while it gallops into healing mode.

While this system is certainly ingenious, researchers are discovering this very lifesaver, could underlie almost all major modern diseases. And it kills silently and slowly, barely showing a symptom - until the damage has been done.

‘Inflammation a major factor behind heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, allergies, auto-immune diseases and cancer – diseases that until a few years ago, were thought to have had separate origins,’ says Dr Jane Flemming, London-based GP. ‘Making matters worse, it appears that many of the attributes of a Western lifestyle—such as a diet high in sugars and saturated fats, accompanied by little or no exercise—also make it easier for the body to become chronically inflamed.

Unlike classic inflammation, which causes pain, swelling and redness, it is silent inflammation that’s the real danger. As this doesn't generate pain, it can go untreated for years. ‘We now know that this silent inflammation is the underlying cause of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease,’ says Monica Reinagel researcher and author of The Inflammation-Free Diet Plan (McGraw-Hill, £14.99).

It’s been through both accident and fortunate coincidence that scientists have discovered the inflammation-link between diseases. Researchers initially begun to suspect a link when they found that by treating inflammation, you can also prevent heart attacks, cancer and even Alzheimer’s.

In 2000, for example, researchers found patients taking Celebrex, an anti-inflammatory drug for arthritis, were less likely to develop intestinal polyps, abnormal growths that can become cancerous. More recently, DeCode Genetics, an Icelandic biotech firm, announced it was launching a pilot study to test whether an anti-inflammatory drug that was under development for use in treating asthma might work to prevent heart attacks. Then there’s the most widely used anti-inflammatory drug of all – aspirin. Aside from easing inflammatory pain, its been found to prevent heart attacks and cut the risk of colon cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Then there’s the remarkable success of fish oils. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a plethora of clinical trials in the last decade has shown these don’t just ease arthritis. They protect against heart disease, slow age-related cognitive decline and help skin conditions such as eczema – illnesses all related to inflammation.

Some of the most fascinating research yielding a link between inflammation and chronic disease comes from the dental chair. One study published in the British Medical Journal found people with chronic inflamed gums had twice the risk of dying from heart disease, were three times more likely to suffer a stroke and had a significantly higher chance of suffering from diabetes.

So when does inflammation become a destructive fource? Problems begin when, for one reason or another, the inflammatory process persists and becomes chronic.

COMMON TRIGGERS

Unfortunately, modern life appears to be full of pro-inflammatory forces. ‘Inflammation is associated with the fight-or-flight stress response where high levels of adrenalin are released into the blood,’ explains Reinagel. ‘It’s also triggered by a modern diet high in pro-inflammatory substances such as alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrate and hydrogenated fats. Pollutant’s – all unnatural chemicals including cigarette smoke - entering the body through the lungs or diet, are all identified as ‘foreign invaders’ so trigger inflammation. Food allergies, say to gluten, set of a similar response.’

Lack of exercise is a culprit too – sitting around all day causes metabolic toxins to build up, and these act as irritants, causing inflammation. If we got more exercise, we’d also benefit from it cutting our stress levels, another ‘inflammatory agent.’

Excessive body fat too is a factor in triggering inflammation. Fat cells, researchers have discovered, work like mini-inflammation factories, making and releasing pro-inflammatory molecules. According to Patrick Holford, the body generally tips into a chronic inflammatory state when then liver’s ability to detoxify is over-loaded. ‘Up until that point, you can generally maintain a healthy equilibrium. Once the liver is overloaded with toxins, the overflow spills into the blood. These have an irritating effect, the result of which is inflammation.’

So how does inflammation do its damage?

One of the most potent weapons produced by inflammatory cells are oxygen free radicals. These highly reactive molecules destroy just about anything that crosses their path— not just foreign invaders, but our own cells and particularly DNA. ‘Over many years, this free-radical damage leads to degeneration, of joints, arteries, brain tissue and skin. Any sight where there’s chronic low level inflammation will be affected. Hence the link to so many modern ‘age-related’ conditions such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, stroke, heart attack, memory loss and wrinkles.

Many cancers too could be caused an accidental by-product of the healing process. Imagine the scenario. Inflammatory cells have released thousands of oxygen free-radicals. But rather than killing a damaged cell, it damages the DNA, leading to a genetic mutation that allows it to keep on growing and dividing. The pre-cancerous result, then gets fed by more inflammatory reactions which attempt to heal it, but instead, end up feeding it.

PROTECTING YOUR SYSTEM

Luckily, silent-inflammation can be detected by measuring a number of key molecules. One of these is C-reactive protein (CRP). While people with 0.5mg/L CRP rarely have heart attacks, those with a CRP reading of 3.0 mg/L or higher have triple the risk of heart disease. Keeping these inflammatory-molecules as low as possible, it seems, should be a priority if you want to fend off age-related decline. But just how should you go about it?

With a huge potential market for anti-inflammatory drugs as disease-preventors, drugs companies are keenly gathering evidence to show how effective products might be. Nutritionists however, are keen to point out that the drug approach suppresses inflammation, but doesn’t address its cause. In any case, the drugs have side-effects.

The right foods and everyday habits, they argue, is all you need to get right for an inflammation-proof life. ‘As inflammation creates free-radicals, you need to eat plenty of antioxidant vitamins which prevent these molecules from doing you harm,’ says Patrick Holford. ‘Vitamins A, C and E, betacarotene and flavonoids, all found in fresh fruit and vegetables, are strong antioxidants. As we generally don’t get enough, I’d recommend everyone living in a city, who drinks alcohol regularly or smokes, take a supplement every day.’

Getting your fat and oil balance right is essential too – fats in animal meat and dairy products get converted in the body into arachidonic-acid which is pro-inflammatory. Omega-3 oils found in fish however, get turned into GLA, which is anti-inflammatory. Overall, one serving of meat and three servings of oily fish a week, is likely to have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Cutting down on everyday stress is a vital anti-inflammatory factor. ‘Keeping ourselves on over-drive is a recipe for inflammation,’ says Reinagel. ‘By that, I mean grabbing a coffee to get going, working without a break all day, going to bed too late and not sleeping well. In these conditions most people don’t eat well, and they drink alcohol to ‘wind down.’

Instead, she says, you should be avoiding caffeine altogether, going for a run at lunch and eating fresh fish with plenty of vegetables. When you feel stressed, instead of hitting the bottle, breathe deeply or meditate. And, for those of us who can’t let go of a few vices, make sure you have a backup tub of vitamins in your bag.

Monica Reinagel, author of The Inflammatin-Free Diet Plan, suggests sticking to the following diet and lifestyle rules to keep inflammation to a minimum.

A HEALTHY OIL RATIO – try to cut out ‘pro-inflammatory’ hydrogenated fat found in margarine, many processed foods and deep fried takeaways. Maximise your intake of fish-oil which is high in Omega-3 anti-inflammatory oils. Aim to eat three servings a week, but be wary of farmed salmon which contain chemicals and additives, which could have a pro-inflammatory effect.

MINIMISE TEA, COFFEE AND ALCOHOL – Tea, coffee and alcohol all raise levels of C-reactive protein in the blood, an indicator that they have a significant inflammatory effect on the body.

AVOID ORGAN MEATS – While organ meats are rich in fat-soluble vitamins, they’re also very high in arachidonic acid, a fatty acid which has a pro-inflammatory effect on the body.

MAXIMISE ON SPICES – Ginger, turmeric, cardamom, cumin and even garlic have a strong and significant anti-inflammatory effect. The effect of turmeric is so marked, drugs companies are attempting to isolate the active molecules and sell them as drugs.

CUT OUT REFINED SUGAR – A high level of sugar in the blood has a pro-inflammatory effect on tissue, causing it to age prematurely. That’s why diabetics are prone to cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY – Aim to get at least 30 minutes to an hour of exercise a day. Exercise cuts stress levels and helps the body eliminate inflammatory waste products.

The sweetest nutrients

Health & Fitness: eat right

Did you know a deficiency in sugars could be making your ill? Anastasia Stephens looks at the eight super-sugars we need for optimum health

Think of sugar and most people think of a seductive, anti-health demon that comes in the form of fattening sweets, biscuits and cakes. But scientists are now discovering a whole family of ‘nutritional’ sugars that our bodies need function effectively. Found in plant foods, these basic sugars form complexes in the body that play roles in chemical communication, immune-defense, kidney function, disease prevention and much, much more.

Aside from glucose, researchers have discovered 7 other essential sugars - galactose, mannose, fucose, xylose, and the more convoluted sounding N-acyNAc, GaINAc and NANA – offering a variety of protective benefits. Research into these sugar-complexes, an area called Glycoscience, is becoming so important, that in 2003, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) included it in the ‘10 Emerging Technologies that Will Change the World.’

But why? ‘Sugar complexes are like communication molecules that give the body its intelligence,’ explains Dr Stephen Boyd, medical director at Mannatech, a US supplements company specializing in sugar-nutrients. ‘They’re why, when you cut your hand, your skin knows how to re-grow. They’re why, when you eat, your gut knows what to absorb and what to pass through. At the cellular level, they form the very words of life.’

The therapeutic potential of this is thought to be enormous. ‘We are discovering that deficiency of these vital sugars can contribute to disease, while supplementation could prevent and treat them,’ says Dr Boyd.

Not surprisingly biotech companies such as Cytel in the US are investing millions in therapeutic sugars. One sugar they’re researching they hope will form the basis of a drug that could minimise damage following heart attacks and surgery.

So what do these super-sugars do?

Dr Boyd explains that sugars such as mannose and galactose combine with proteins to boost immunity and fight inflammation. Mannose, for example, boosts the activity of phagocytes, immune cells that kill bacteria. Galactose is involved in fighting inflammation and low levels are associated with diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. ‘Research has found that the severity of RA symptoms relates to how much galactose is missing,’ explains Dr Boyd. ‘But when galactose levels rise, these symptoms go into remission.’

Supersugars seem to block allergic reactions, leading some researchers to suspect that allergies might be associated with supersugar deficiency. One study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that the sugar, fucose suppressed allergic skin reactions. In another study, the sugar, NANA (N-acetylnauraminic acid) blocked anaphylactic shock and allergic inflammation in lung tissue.

These simple sugars protect us from cancer too. Studies have linked all eight sugars to cancer-fighting activity. Mannose, galactose and fucose, in particular, seem to inhibit tumour growth. One study in Anticancer Research found galactose stopped liver cancer cells from growing and spreading round the body. Even the humble glucose does more than just give energy. According to one study published in Gastroenterology, it enhances calcium absorption, so may protect our bones from weakening.

Unfortunately, glucose is the only one of the eight essential sugars we’re eating in abundance. Refined sugar, breads, pastas and sweets are all full of it. Only people who eat dairy products are getting enough galactose, which is a breakdown product of lactose found in milk and cheese. As for the other six sugars – found in fresh fruit and vegetables - we’re probably not getting enough.

‘The US recently upped the daily recommended fruit and vegetable quota to 8-12 daily portions but most people still aren’t eating five,’ points out Dr Boyd. The resulting deficiency is thought to be linked to weakened immunity, poor digestion and a predisposition to allergy and chronic inflammatory diseases. It’s also likely that low levels of super-sugars means less protection from cancerous growths.

Kimberley Gridley, an Alternative Health Practitioner based in Kent, has been giving super-sugar supplements to patients for three years. ‘They accelerate healing in patients who aren’t responding to treatment,’ she says. ‘I’ve found the results quite remarkable. It’s as if previously unresponsive tissue has started to work.’

So is it time to change our view on sugar? ‘People should stop thinking sugar is all bad,’ says Dr Boyd. ‘Yes, cut down on cakes and pasta. But never scrimp on vegetables. The sugars in them are lifesavers.’

Are you getting enough supersugar?

Aside from glucose and galactose, the main sources of mannose, fucose, n-acetylglucosamine, n-acetylgalactosamine, xylose, and n-acetylneuraminic acid are fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables. Mushrooms are rich in mannose, and seaweed – eaten in Japanese cuisine - is a particularly good source of fucose.

Overall, due to soil depletion and modern farming methods, researchers think that plants contain around 30pc fewer of these sugars today, than in the past.

Because sugar is water-soluble, boiling reduces levels of supersugars even further – of anything between 10 and 30pc. This also applies to canned vegetables - one study found a sugar loss of around 30% when fresh asparagus was canned.

To maximize your intake of plant sugars, London-based nutritionist Amanda Jennings recommends you buy either fresh or frozen vegetables. ‘Aim to eat a vegetable quota in line with our ancestors – 40-80pc of their diet consisted of fruit, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts and tubers,’ she says. ‘Many were eaten raw within a few hours of collection. Ideally you should eat some raw fruit and vegetables each day. When you do cook vegetables, steam them, rather than boil, for maximum nutrition.’

Supersugar supplements are available from Mannatech, tel no: 0800 028 6071; go to www.mannatech.com

Enzyme energy …

Health & Fitness: eat right

Many of us don’t get enough vital enzymes. ANASTASIA STEPHENS tells you how you can boost your supply

For years they’ve been taken for granted – but enzymes, molecules that drive the body’s chemical reactions – are hitting the nutritional spotlight. Now its not just champions of raw food arguing we need more of them, but nutritionists and doctors too.

Essential for every single biological reaction, enzymes are molecular ‘converters,’ building them up, breaking them down and changing their structure – to perform whatever is needed at that time. Without enzymes, we wouldn’t be able to breakdown food, tissue wouldn’t re-grow, immune cells wouldn’t be made and we certainly wouldn’t be able to convert sugar to energy.

In the medical mainstream, it’s been widely assumed that our body’s can generate all the enzymes needed to keep the body in good shape. Nutritionists and a handful of doctors pioneering ‘enzyme therapy’ are arguing this is far from the case.

Our enzymes, they say, can be depleted, leading to inflammation, degeneration, fatigue and general ill-health. And while some may develop a general enzyme shortfall, others might have a serious shortage of one particular enzyme. It’s well established, for example, that some people have trouble making lactase, an enzyme that digests the milk-sugar lactose. This causes digestive difficulties with milk and dairy problems.

A few medics however, are convinced that supplementing with the right balance of enzymes can turn ill health around - as effectively, if not more successfully than drugs.

‘Enzymes digest food, transport nutrients, kill bacteria and viruses, purify the blood, balance cholesterol, build up muscle, nourish the brain and much more,’ says Dr Ellen Cutler, enzyme therapist and author of Enzymes for Health and Healing (Rodale Books £12.99). ‘As a result, supplementation strengthens immunity, rejuvenates tissues, improves digestion and raises energy levels.’

Backing these claims are the hundreds of patients she says she’s successfully helped overcome everything from inflammatory bowel conditions to fatigue, high cholesterol and weakened immunity. Most convincing of all, was her struggle with her own health. ‘Within weeks of taking enzyme supplements, I overcame a lifelong battle with colitis, low energy and weak immunty,’ says Dr Cutler. ‘The results were so persuasive, I’ve dedicated my life to it.’

WHY DO WE NEED MORE?

Biochemical research has found that enzyme levels deplete with age – our bodies can’t produce as many and they loose their spark. Energy production, tissue repair and digestion become slower and less efficient.

‘As enzymes wear out, the body needs to make more and for that, it needs nutrients,’ explains Patrick Holford, nutritionist and founder for the Institute for Optimum Nutrition. ‘But if you’re nutrient-deficient, you can’t make enzymes. Without enough enzymes, your body won’t be able to use the nutrients you do eat.’

The typical modern diet, he says, is likely to lead to just this situation. ‘Intensive farming means our soils and everything growing on it contains fewer nutrients than in the past,’ says Holford. ‘Also, refined and processed foods are often stripped of nutrients completely.’

To add to that, we generally fail to benefit from a wealth of plant-enzymes found only in raw, uncooked foods. ‘Plants are packed with enzymes and eaten raw, they help you make up for any ‘enzyme deficit,’ says Dr Cutler. ‘They also give the body’s own digestive enzymes a break. But most of us, eat hardly any,’

The net result is that most of us are probably suffering an enzyme shortfall, a situation that initially shows as weak digestion, and as the body fails to absorb adequate nutrients, as inflammation, weak immunity and accelerated wear and tear.

To make up the deficit, Dr Cutler generally recommends her patients take a range of digestive enzymes, including amylases which digest starch, lipases to digest fat and proteases to digest protein. Systemic enzymes which support cellular growth and fight inflammation throughout the body are vital too.

Anyone can benefit from an enzyme-regime, she says, but particularly those with digestive difficulties.
‘Enzymes are a must for people with irritable bowel conditions of any sort,’ says Dr Cutler. ‘They can turn around the condition and improve overall health fast.’

Then there are specific enzyme deficiencies for which individual enzymes can be given. Lipase (a fat-digesting enzyme) is often given for fat intolerance, or amylases (starch-digesting) to help people digest gluten.

Diet is a vital component of any enzyme-enriching regime. Cutting down on processed and refined ‘low nutrition’ food, along with increasing your intake of raw vegetables is a must. A good rule is to eat the equivalent of one raw meal a day – this could include fruit, avocado, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and spinach. Papaya is a rich source of papain, a powerful protein-digesting enzyme, but Dr Cutler warns, some people are allergic to this fruit.

For a condensed source of plant enzymes, sprinkle sprouted lentils, aduki, mung beans, chickpeas and alfalfa on your food. ‘Sprouted seeds are like rockets ready for takeoff, containing all the fuel they needed to launch – they’re packed with enzymes needed for growth,’ says Simon Davies of Just Falafs, health food outlet specializing in natural energy foods.

‘Not only will these help you digest, they’ll help tissues with re-growth and renewal. Eat them on a daily basis and you’ll really notice a boost to your health and vitality.’

BOOST YOUR BODY’S ENZYMES

Dr Ellen Cutler, enzyme therapist and author of Enzymes for Health and Healing (Rodale Books £12.99) has the following tips:

A digestive enzyme supplement containing a blend of different enzymes - take 1-3 capsules a day 10 minutes before a meal. If you have an acid-related condition such as heartburn or acid reflux or ulcers, take one capsule with your first bite of food.

Add protease to your program – apart from digesting protein, this enzyme breaks up molecules that disrupt immunity and reduces inflammation.

Opt for vegetarian enzymes – unlike animal-derived enzymes, they begin digesting food almost immediately after entering the stomach. The body then saves its own digestive enzymes as some food is already broken down.

Remember, vitamins and minerals need enzymes to work – so if you’re enzyme deficient, they’ll just get flushed from the body.

SUPPLEMENTS TO TRY

Pollyzyme Forte by Biocare, £8.80 for 30caps contains eight digestive enzymes including protease and probiotic bacteria. It’s one of the best enzyme all-rounders on the market. 0121 433 3727.
Essential Enzyme, by Source Naturals, digestive enzymes, £17.99 for 120caps, tel the Nutricentre: 0207 436 5122.
Prolactazyme Forte, 30caps for £6.85, helps with the digestion of milk products www.lactose.co.uk or 0794 133 448.
Glutenzyme, helps those with gluten intolerance to digest gluten in cereals and grains, £8.20 for 30caps, www.lactose.co.uk or 0794 133 448.




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